Archaeological dig at Germantown Potter's Field site will not start before March

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Friday, January 25, 2013
By Amy Z. Quinn
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W. Queen Lane and Pulaski Ave., Philadelphia, PA.
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- Archaeologist Mary Alfson Tinsman points to slides showing historical maps of Potter’s Field at a meeting in late December.

"We're going to force the city of Philadelphia to sell this piece of property back to the Recreation Department. We expect it to be filed any day."
-- Greg Paulmier, former city council candidate and PHA-plan critic, on potential lawsuit related to Queen Lane Apartments site

An archaeological dig to see if human remains lie beneath the Queen Lane Apartments site won't begin until at least March, as a months-long historic review of the 18th-century Potter's Field continues.

With the ground beginning to freeze as winter settles in, and the historic review still ongoing, any "ground truthing" won't begin until at least mid-April. And, it's still unclear what will become of the 16-story apartment tower.

Upcoming schedule

Under the latest timeline, released Thursday at the latest in a series of project meetings called by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, background research and information-gathering on the Potter's Field will be done by Feb. 22.

Read more

- Queen Lane project

About the author

Amy Z. Quinn, NewsWorks Northwest reporter

Amy Z. Quinn developed an interest in planning and land use while covering rapidly-developing South Jersey suburbs for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and later wrote extensively about urban and beachfront redevelopment for the Asbury Park Press.

Over more than 15 years of local reporting, opinion writing and blogging, Amy has cultivated a distinctive voice and desire to get right to the heart of an issue. She also trains tomorrow's news professionals as a popular journalism instructor at several area universities.

A Manayunk native now living in an average suburban development, Amy covers Northwest Philly as part of PlanPhilly's partnership with WHYY's NewsWorks.